Most people have experienced a series of events that impacted their lives dramatically. In the movie, “Central Station,” Josue is a 9 year-old orphaned boy, who is in search of his father. Dora is a retired school teacher, turned letter writer. Dora joins Josue in his journey. Dora and Josue experience a series of influential events, where they grow to love each other. A series of events, leading to the turning point, changes Dora from a self-centered and uncaring person to a self-sacrificing and compassionate woman.
The movie takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the Central Station where Dora writes and sends letters for the illiterate. Dora helped Josue and his mother, Ana, send a first and negative letter to his father, Jesus. When Dora comes home from work, we find out that Josue’s father is a drunk, and that she reads the letters with her friend Irene for sheer entertainment, tearing them to pieces afterward. One day, when Josue and his mother were walking away and across the street, Josue drops a toy he was carrying.
While his mother calls out his name, a bus runs over her and kills her. Josue is left orphaned and alone at the station for days. Despite Josue’s situation, Dora leaves him to fend for himself as she continues her life. She does not aid the poor orphan Josue until she realizes that she may reap profits from the boy. Dora sells Josue to black market criminals for 1,000 dollars, which she uses to purchase a television. Dora experiences a turning point when she decides to save Josue from two black market criminals.
This sudden change occurs when her friend Irene, is suspicious about the television. Once she finds out how the television was purchased, she makes Dora realize the error she made by telling her that Josue’s buyers sell children’s organs for profit. During the turning point, Dora has a change of heart as she uneasily tosses and turns in her bed, unable to sleep. Dora rises from her sleep, collects three photographs of children from unsent letters to serve as a, “selling proposition,” and distraction.
While the man and woman from the black market discuss over the pictures, Dora uses their distraction as an opportunity to rescue Josue. The two escape and embark on a journey to find Josue’s father, Jesus. During the exposition and rising action of, “Central Station,” Dora is a selfish and uncaring woman. Dora is revealed as a self-centered woman when orphaned Josue asks Dora to write a letter to his father for him. Instead of aiding and consoling him, Dora demands Josue to pay her. Another example is when Dora sells Josue to black market criminals for a thousand dollars, to buy a television.
In this instance, Dora thinks about herself and the profit she would reap from Josue. Dora is revealed as an uncaring person when she returns home with a stack of all the letters she’s been paid to write and send. Instead of sending the letters, she sits with her friend Irene and begins to read them for entertainment, afterward tearing them up and throwing them in the trash. Another example of being an uncaring woman is when Dora notices that Josue is alone, and orphaned, yet she ignores him and goes on with her life.
In, “Central Station,” the rising action leads to a turning point, in which Dora transforms into a compassionate and self-sacrificing woman. Dora’s first self-sacrificing action is when she risks her life to save Josue from the black market. In order to save Josue, Dora risks her life. Dora is also seen as a self sacrificing woman in Central Station. The first example is when Dora sacrifices everything, including her life, to take Josue on a journey to his father. As the journey continues, Dora transforms into a compassionate woman who has empathy towards others.
An example of her compassion is when Dora returns to her letter writing job in necessity of income during their journey. This time she realizes the error in her ways and rightfully sends the letters. The ultimate demonstration of compassion is in the resolution, when Dora leaves Josue with his brothers, despite the care and love she now feels for him. Dora does this because she knows it will be best for Josue. He will have a male-figure and work example to live by that she could not provide to him.
In the movie, “Central Station,” Dora and Josue undertake a life-changing journey. Together, they experience a series of events that will forever impact their lives. From feelings of disdain and reproach, they both grow to love and care for each other. “Central Station,” demonstrates how one significant turning point, in which one changes their course, can result in a complete evolution of oneself and an unexpected twist in our lives. In Dora’s case, these events transform her from uncaring and self-centered, to compassionate and self-sacrificing.
